Note that this game is now on Friday evening, starting at 7:30. It was previously scheduled for Saturday or Sunday.

The team list is up on the North Sydney Bears website. South Sydney has named four reserves for its Sunday afternoon game - Anthony Cherrington, Kyle Turner, Robbie Rochow and Cameron Murray. Rochow and Murray have also been named for Norths.

There is a curtain raiser from 6:15, an U14s game between North Sydney Brothers and Cromer Kingfishers.

The game is being broadcast by Steele Sports, with its coverage starting at 6:30:

TEAM LIST – NORTH SYDNEY UNDER LIGHTS VS PENRITH PANTHERS
June 27, 2017 by Steve Little

Round Seventeen of the Intrust Super Premiership, has been rescheduled and brought forward to Friday night 7:30 pm.

An early exodus from the North Sydney Business District is expected at the end of the working week as Beautiful North Sydney Oval under lights hosts the North Sydney Bears next home match against the Penrith Panthers.

The Match will be the first time this year the two clubs on opposite ends of the Sydney basin will play.

In 2016 the Panthers edged out winners 42-10 and 34-22 in round two and eighteen respectfully.

As a curtain raiser, the Under Fourteens Combined Junior Competition sees North Sydney Brothers face the Cromer Kingfishers. Gates open 6:00 pm.

14 Piki ROGERS (into starting side in place of 9 Bradley DEITZ who drops to the bench)
16 Toby RUDOLPH (into starting side in place of 10 Robbie ROCHOW who drops out)
18 Thomas FREEBAIRN comes into the squad in place of ROCHOW.

When I checked the NSWRL match centre about half an hour ago, the team was 1-17 except that 23 Latrell SCHAUMKEL was listed as replacing 3 Campbell GRAHAM but this change has been undone.

I'm listening on Steele Sports, but it's also being covered by Hawkesbury Radio and Triple H.

It's just gone half time, and the score is 6-all. Overall, it sounds a bit scrappy, fair bit of dropped ball. A lot of penalties - each side must be in double figures - and one player from each side sinbinned, noting that the same Penrith player has been sinbinned twice - is that a record? There have been a few cheap shots from both sides. North Sydney's attack doesn't seem that inspiring, even with a one-man overlap at times - the term "nothing set" is getting used a bit. However, on the positive, NS finished the half with some great goal line defence.

Sounds like a good crowd has turned up.

It didn't start well for the Bears - Piki Rogers was taken off 30 seconds into the game for a head injury assessment. Commentators say that he looked in a bad way. They're not sure what happened, but suggested that his head got in the way. He hasn't come back.

NS had the better of the early play, and at about the 10 minute mark went on the attack after two successive penalties, one of which resulted in a Penrith player being sinbinned for mouthing off at the ref. NS looked set to score in the following set, but Ed Murphy knocked on an awkward but catchable pass from Brad Deitz. Commentators said that all he had to do was hold it and he would have scored.

NS conceded both a penalty and possession on the half way - they had a scrum feed, but got penalised. The commentators didn't say why. NS gave away another couple of penalties, and Cheyne Whitelaw was sinbinned. Guess what? Penrith almost immediately scores the opening try of the game. Penrith 6-0 after 15 minutes.

NS got a try in the 21st minute courtesy of Eli Levido who leapt high to take a well directed cross-kick from Luke Kelly. Commentators said Levido should play for Sydney Swans. Levido converted his own try. 6-all.

Unfortunately after leading for most of the second half, North Sydney fell away after Penrith scored a try against the run of play. The final score was 17-10 to the Panthers.

The second half started well for the Bears - a penalty after 45 seconds led to Levido taking on the Penrith line and scoring in the corner. His conversion attempt just missed. NS 10-6.

Penrith looked to hit back in about the 48th minute after three penalties in a row but NS defence stands up. Good stuff.

In the 54th minute, the commentators express frustration when Douehi's cut-out pass goes past three NS players and hits the fence.

NS was playing pretty well, particularly in defence, but in about the 65th minute, shortly after gaining possession after tackling Penrith on the sixth, Cameron MURRAY dropped the ball. It was scooped up by a Penrith player who went through a few attempted tackles to score and tie things up. The commentators had just finished saying that they didn't know where Penrith's points were going to come from. The conversion attempt hit the upright and bounced out. 10-all.

In the 73rd minute, ex-Bear Darren Nicholls pots a field goal to make it 11-10 for Penrith. The commentators say that the momentum shifted to Penrith on the back of the try against the run of play. Nicholls follows it up with a converted try in the 76th minute (the match centre gives it to another player). Penrith 17-10.

Perhaps best described as one that got away. We dominated for a lot of this game, a much improved performance on recent efforts.